Mothers And Sons by Adam Haslett

​”At forty, Peter, an asylum lawyer in New York City, is overworked and isolated… But when the asylum case of a young gay man pierces Peter’s numbness, the event that he has avoided for twenty years returns to haunt him.…As Peter’s case plunges him further into the memory of his first love and the night of violence that changed his life forever, he and his mother must confront the secret that tore them apart.” – Goodreads

My Thoughts: – It starts out as a slow burn but picks up speed, and I absolutely loved Peter in Mothers and Sons. His mother, Ann, grew on me as the book progressed, but Peter I was smitten with right from the start—a conscientious immigration lawyer who deals with his traumatized clients while trying to ignore his own traumatic past.​

The tragic event when Peter was 19 has led not only to his estrangement with his mother but also the lonely, workaholic existence he’s been living ever since. I know it sounds like a grim read, but the ending is hopeful. And as with The Correspondent, Mothers and Sons is about how guilt and regret can eat away at a person if it’s not dealt with at the time.​

Rating: 4.5 stars



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